Teams are allowed to practice 10 days, and in the past, only in shorts, T-shirts and helmets. According to Northwestern coach Jimmy Wallace, a poll of the high school principals around the state showed that 163 of the 195 with football teams endorsed a rule change.

They agreed it was time to let teams wear full pads in the spring and a proposal was sent to the South Carolina High School League's Executive Committee for a vote.

The committee agreed last month to allow teams the option to practice three days the same as always but could dress in full gear the other seven.

Coaches around the state applauded the decision, but not all of them are taking full advantage of it this year.

Wallace said his team will go seven days in full pads. Indian Land's Mike Mayer is going five days without and five days with, but only because his schedule was made before the rule was passed.

"We had several things we wanted to do the first five days," Mayer said. "We have a fundraiser planned and we'll also test our kids in the 40, bench press and squats. And we are also doing it because of our facilities."

Indian Land moved into a new school this year, but the new athletic fieldhouse was pushed back and won't be ready until Sept. 15, barring construction delays. The Warriors have only one home game before that, on Sept. 12.

Until the building is finished, Mayer and his players will use a mobile unit.

"The locker room in the school is small and there's not enough room to accommodate all of our players and equipment," he said. "So for five days, we'll dress in the mobile and go in full pads. Hopefully, we can make it work."

Wallace said the state's coaches have been trying to get a full pads rule put in for at least the last 25 years, that it was needed for several reasons.

He pointed out that other sports are played year-round, but that football is under constraints. The High School League dictates when teams can practice, when they can start the season, when they end the season and how they conduct spring practice.

Putting in the new rule solves none of the above, but it does have advantages.

"People call football a contact sport, but it's actually a collision sport," Wallace said. "As coaches, we need to teach our kids the basic fundamentals and the techniques of football, which are blocking and tackling. We can't do that in shorts and helmets.

"But we'll be careful, play it smart. I'm sure we'll have to jump in and back it down at times, as I'm sure other teams will have to do. None of us wants to get anybody hurt, and we'll be out there teach our kids, not having full-fledged scrimmages."

The rule is also intended to keep teams from skirting guidelines and put everyone on equal footing. Blythewood was the defending Class AAA state champion last year, but was caught practicing twice in full gear when it wasn't allowed.

The Bengals were allowed to play a full schedule, but none of the games counted in the region standings and they were barred from competing in the playoffs. After the second incident, their coach resigned.

Lewisville coach Floyd Drum said the new guidelines will still need to be studied closely, that there are some instanced where teams could still violate them without intent.

That won't be a problem at Lewisville. Drum will use only four days with his players to get them acclimated to the Lions' weight room and way of doing things.

"At a small school like ours, we have kids that play three sports and have just finished their third," Drum said. "I don't believe you can get players used to hitting in seven days, because once you start in the preseason, you do it for three months without stopping.

"And a lot of our players who just finished another sports season have already become employed for the summer. How am I going to punish the kids who don't make it to spring practice? They understand the have to make their summer workouts and that preseason camp starts the first of August. They know all of that and will be here."